I’m excited to share my Lemon Coconut Macaroons because a surprising trick in these coconut-and-white-chocolate bites has everyone asking for the recipe.
I fell hard for these Easy Lemon Coconut Macaroons, and honestly I cant stop tinkering with the little things. The light lemon flavor pairs with heaps of sweetened shredded coconut and the white chocolate chips on the bottoms give every bite a tiny surprise.
People call it the Best Coconut Macaroons Recipe, and yeah, I get why, but I still think my take on Lemon Coconut Macaroons has a few tricks up its sleeve. They look simple, but once you try one you get curious, and before you know it youre reaching for another.
Ingredients
- Offers fiber and healthy fats, gives chewy texture and tropical flavor.
- Provide protein, help bind and crisp edges when baked, light and airy.
- Sweetens everything, adds structure and caramelization, watch amounts if your dieting.
- Adds warm aroma, rounds flavors, tiny splash goes a long way.
- Zest gives bright oils, juice brings tangy zip, balances sweetness well.
- Enhances flavors, cuts through sweetness, small pinch transforms bland cookies.
- Melts into creamy bottoms, adds buttery sweetness, use good quality chips.
- Delicious, fairly indulgent, some nutrition from coconut, but mostly a sweet treat.
- Lemons add vitamin C and bright acidity, helps preserve color slightly.
Ingredient Quantities
- 4 cups (about 14 oz) sweetened shredded coconut, packed a bit
- 3 large egg whites, room temp
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 or 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 oz white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate for melting to coat bottoms
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. Put the 4 cups shredded coconut, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a big bowl and give it a quick stir so the zest is evenly distributed.
3. In a clean bowl beat 3 room temperature egg whites until foamy, then slowly add 1/2 cup sugar and keep beating until glossy medium peaks form; stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
4. Fold the egg-white mixture into the coconut mixture with a spatula until everything is moistened and sticks together, let it sit 3 to 5 minutes so the coconut soaks up the liquid.
5. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to drop heaping mounds about 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet, press the tops slightly so they’re even; this helps them bake evenly.
6. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops are set but still chewy; if they brown too fast turn the oven down 10 degrees.
7. Let the macaroons cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before coating.
8. Melt 4 oz white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between bursts, or use a double boiler; if it’s thick add a teaspoon of coconut oil to smooth it.
9. Dip or spread melted white chocolate on the bottoms of each cooled macaroon, place them back on parchment and chill in the fridge until the chocolate is firm.
10. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days or in the fridge if your kitchen is warm; if you want extra lemon flavor add more zest next time, or use pasteurized egg whites if you’re worried about raw eggs.
Equipment Needed
1. Rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat
2. Large mixing bowl for the coconut
3. Clean medium bowl for beating the egg whites
4. Electric hand mixer or a whisk (your arm will get a workout if you choose the whisk)
5. Microplane or lemon zester and measuring spoons
6. Measuring cups (you’ll need a 1 cup and a 4 cup works best)
7. Rubber spatula for folding the mixtures together
8. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion the macaroons
9. Wire cooling rack to cool them before coating
10. Microwave-safe bowl or a double boiler setup for melting the white chocolate
FAQ
Easy Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Sweetened shredded coconut: use unsweetened shredded coconut plus 1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar stirred in, or swap for desiccated coconut if you like a firmer, chewier texture — a bit less sweet but still tasty.
- Egg whites: replace with 6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas), whip to stiff peaks with a pinch of cream of tartar, then fold in like egg whites for a vegan option.
- Granulated sugar: use superfine (caster) sugar 1:1 for a smoother mix, or coconut sugar 1:1 if you want a deeper, caramel note and don’t mind a darker color.
- White chocolate chips for coating: melt dark or milk chocolate instead for contrast, or use dairy free white chocolate / vegan melts if you need a dairy free version.
Pro Tips
1. Toasting trick. Toast half the coconut in a dry pan or on a sheet for a few minutes till the edges are lightly golden, then cool it. It gives a nice nutty flavor and color without drying out the whole batch, because if you toast all of it the macaroons can lose their chew so dont overdo it.
2. Egg white care. Use room temp whites and a totally clean, grease free bowl so they whip up better, add the sugar slowly until you get glossy medium peaks not stiff ones. Fold gently so you dont deflate the foam, and if you do overbeat the whites fold in one small extra white or a teaspoon of water to loosen them.
3. Shape and bake like a pro. Use a small cookie scoop for uniform size and press the tops a bit so they bake evenly, then bake on the center rack and watch the edges not the tops; pull them when edges are just golden but centers still a little chewy. If theyre browning too fast move the rack down or lower the oven by 10 degrees and rotate the pan once.
4. Chocolate and storage hacks. Make sure the macaroons are completely cool before coating or the chocolate will slide off, and thin melted white chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil if it seems too thick for dipping. Store in an airtight container with parchment between layers, and let them come to room temp before serving so the flavors open up.
Easy Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe
I’m excited to share my Lemon Coconut Macaroons because a surprising trick in these coconut-and-white-chocolate bites has everyone asking for the recipe.
24
servings
153
kcal
Equipment: 1. Rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat
2. Large mixing bowl for the coconut
3. Clean medium bowl for beating the egg whites
4. Electric hand mixer or a whisk (your arm will get a workout if you choose the whisk)
5. Microplane or lemon zester and measuring spoons
6. Measuring cups (you’ll need a 1 cup and a 4 cup works best)
7. Rubber spatula for folding the mixtures together
8. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion the macaroons
9. Wire cooling rack to cool them before coating
10. Microwave-safe bowl or a double boiler setup for melting the white chocolate
Ingredients
-
4 cups (about 14 oz) sweetened shredded coconut, packed a bit
-
3 large egg whites, room temp
-
1/2 cup granulated sugar
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 or 2 lemons
-
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
-
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
-
4 oz white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate for melting to coat bottoms
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Put the 4 cups shredded coconut, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a big bowl and give it a quick stir so the zest is evenly distributed.
- In a clean bowl beat 3 room temperature egg whites until foamy, then slowly add 1/2 cup sugar and keep beating until glossy medium peaks form; stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- Fold the egg-white mixture into the coconut mixture with a spatula until everything is moistened and sticks together, let it sit 3 to 5 minutes so the coconut soaks up the liquid.
- Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to drop heaping mounds about 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet, press the tops slightly so they’re even; this helps them bake evenly.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops are set but still chewy; if they brown too fast turn the oven down 10 degrees.
- Let the macaroons cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before coating.
- Melt 4 oz white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between bursts, or use a double boiler; if it’s thick add a teaspoon of coconut oil to smooth it.
- Dip or spread melted white chocolate on the bottoms of each cooled macaroon, place them back on parchment and chill in the fridge until the chocolate is firm.
- Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days or in the fridge if your kitchen is warm; if you want extra lemon flavor add more zest next time, or use pasteurized egg whites if you’re worried about raw eggs.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 30g
- Total number of serves: 24
- Calories: 153kcal
- Fat: 12.1g
- Saturated Fat: 10.3g
- Trans Fat: 0.02g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.2g
- Monounsaturated: 1.3g
- Cholesterol: 0.9mg
- Sodium: 37.8mg
- Potassium: 110.7mg
- Carbohydrates: 11.3g
- Fiber: 2.6g
- Sugar: 10.4g
- Protein: 1.8g
- Vitamin A: 9.4IU
- Vitamin C: 0.3mg
- Calcium: 13mg
- Iron: 0.4mg
